What do you do when your toddler gets frusterated..

[~Temet Nosce~]

when things won't work?
DD was trying to put different shaped blocks through the different shaped holes (triangle, square etc.) I'd show her how to do it, and she would get one or two in the right place, and would try another, but would put it into the wrong hole, so instead of trying again, she just cracks the sads and has a tanty over it. I tell her to calm down, and show her again, she gets all of them. Looks very pleased and proud of herself, I tell her well done you got it right etc.
So she will tip them out again, and try again, and get increasingly frusterated and cry when she can't get them in again. She doesn't stop to think, she just throws the toys away and cries, then moves on to something else.
How can I encourage her to keep at it, without her cracking the sh!ts? :rolleyes:

[cassvanm]

You can't, she's 18 months old. My 3.5yr old still does it :rolleyes:
Come to think of it, so does my 5 year old. :laughing:
It's just the age. It's called Instant Gratification. They want it, if they can't get it, they crack it!.

[mum2bubba]

I agree with cassvanm. My kids are 20 months and 4 years and they still get frustrated, but I am 26 and still do as well sometimes.

[~Temet Nosce~]

I had a feeling that was the case, but what do you do when they are having a hissy fit over something not working and throwing toys at you? :dizzy: Just ignore it?

[NewBeginnings]

:laughing: if someone knows I want to know too!

My 2.5 year old is the same! I end up cracking them back at him sometimes! :o

Other than that just perseverance and praise... or distraction with something else!

I feel your pain though! :hugs:

[Oblena]

Sounds like you do similar to me too. I also give my DD words for her to use so that she starts the realise what these emotions are - eg, Is that **** making you angry, cross. frustrated etc. She sometimes says yes now, but like your bub, goes back and is the same.

I also explain to her to try again and that screaming at X won't help, but if she really cracks it, I take her away from teh situation (or take the situation away from her and suggest a totally new activity. I try to pick one that I know she can do, or that will involve me for a little while so she is happy with that attention.

It's frustrating watching them - I agree with that

[mim1]

If a toy is frustrating, then take it away to remove the frustration. A good example for my ds is puzzles. Sometimes he will do the same puzzle over and over for 10 minutes, other times he'll start throwing puzzle pieces without even doing it once (usually when he's tired). So, it's important that these sorts of toys have a 'house' where they go when they aren't in use to remove the frustration for little people. My mum (a kinder teacher) even suggested taking the puzzle away after a few (?4) attempts if I notice he usually gets frustrated after 5 or 6 attempts. That way we all stay happy and he can move onto something else that is equally fun without getting upset.

I should add that when my ds was 18 months old he just constantly got frustrated with duplo or blocks. So, they went on a long holiday and came out a few months later. Now he gets frustrated, but it takes a lot longer to occur and often isn't an issue. So, it may be that the shape sorting toy is just too much right now, but in a month it might be fantastic.

[Pixie]

CM is exactly right - they want it to happen straight away - kinda like us!

With my DD she is coming up 3 if she screams of bangs things together in frustration I tell her we don't behave like that, it's not a nice way to behave and if she needs help then she is to ask "help please mummy" she is quite good now as she has gotten older I ignore her then wait for her to ask nicely for my help. I then show her how to do what ever, if she gets frustrated again, I remind her to behave nicely and ask her if she can remember how mummy helped her, and then do it again with her.

[MummyStar]

Our DS is 14 months old & he gets frustrated with the Tupperware Shape-O-Ball, his favourite shapes are the circle & oval so once he has put both in the ball he wants me to open it again to do them again, while he's putting the shapes in the hole I point to the hole & move the ball to line up with the shape so that they go in a bit easier & I encourage him to use the other shapes too & sometimes he is fine & other times he starts swinging his arm around the place when he gets frustrated or is tired & then I usually say come on lets do the circle (I don't leave him to do it on his own yet) or I grab something else for him to play with, or I lead up to putting him down for a sleep. He doesn't throw toys at me though so it's a bit tamer than what you're experiencing. He loves getting on chairs but can't quite do it himself yet & he gets frustrated with that so I sit him up at his table & we usually play with a puzzle (as in he pulls out the pieces & drops them on the floor) he just enjoys to sit on chairs. Sorry I don't have any solutions, I would probably find something else for her to play with for a while. It will come in time, babies & toddlers have a much shorter concentration span than adults.